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CAIRO, Egypt – Congressman David Dreier (R-CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee and the House Democracy Partnership, has arrived in Cairo, Egypt with a bipartisan Congressional delegation to lead a team of observers of the nation's first post-revolution democratic parliamentary election. In the days leading up to the election, Dreier is meeting with party representatives, government officials and voters to discuss this historic election. He will lead a team of official election observers at the start of the elections on November 28.

“The tragic events of the last week have offered further evidence that Egypt's democratic transition will be challenging and hard fought,” said Dreier. “While the outcome of these parliamentary elections is far from certain, what we do know is that the Egyptian people want and deserve the opportunity to choose their leaders and return to democratic, civilian rule. The international delegation I am leading is here in Cairo simply to witness what takes place and offer our support for a fair, open and transparent process.”

Added Dreier, “The election process will be lengthy, and the overall transition to a stable, peaceful and prosperous democracy will be even lengthier. I remain committed to taking whatever steps I can to bolster the Egyptian people in this effort, including supporting an Egypt-U.S. free trade agreement. Such an agreement would spur growth in both countries, providing the resources to support Egypt's transition while creating new opportunities for Americans as well. Greater economic engagement will be key to ensuring a positive path forward for Egypt during this tumultuous time.”

Last week Dreier introduced in the House of Representatives H. Res. 472, a bipartisan resolution calling for negotiations of a Egypt-U.S. free trade agreement. The text of the resolution can be found here.